Rebecca Kelly
by Kristin Chenoweth Love
Summary: What would happen if Veronica actually had a daughter, and Velma has to take custody of her? Basically, Velma's trying to learn to be a mother. But she sucks at it. Enjoy! [R&R Please!]
1. Chapter 1

_Plop._

_Plop, plop. _

_Plop._

Velma rolled over on her side, pulling the blankets over her head. The sound of the dripping water from the rusty old sink which she had been hearing every night for the past month had been driving her crazy.

_Plop._

_Plop, plop._

"Someone turn that _damn _water off!"

At first there was silence, and Velma sat up in the dark, waiting.

_Plop, plop. _

Velma let out a frustrated yell, angrily throwing the blankets off her. "I've had it!" she yelled, gripping the iron bars. "Mama! Mama; lemme outta here!"

Annie, who was in the cell next to her, groggily got out of bed and walked to the bars. "Velma baby, it's no use," she said softly. "You know there's nothing we can do 'bout the water."

"It's better than that _damn poppin' noise!"_ Liz's voice was heard from the cell next to Annie's.

Velma struck her hand against the bars angrily, walking back towards the bed. It was past two o'clock, but she was no longer tired. She leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. The little crack in one of the tiles had always captured her attention when she couldn't sleep, for some strange reason. She stared at it, wondering what she'd be doing if she wasn't in jail. If she hadn't walked in on Charlie and Veronica that one night. She sighed, looking ahead of her into pure darkness. She was a night person. She'd sleep in all day and then go out with a couple of friends at night. If she wasn't stuck in this hellhole, she'd probably be at some jazz club, drinking and having a good time with her friends. Or her sister. Or Charlie.

She let out a deep breath, thinking about Charlie. That bastard. To think that she had fallen for such a dirty bum. She didn't belong here, _she _had suffered enough. Walking in on the two had been traumitizing enough for her. She finally laid back down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Oh well, she thought to herself. Knowing that they were both rotting in opposite sides of Hell comforted her a bit. She closed her eyes and and before she knew it, the breakfast bell was ringing.


	2. Chapter 2

Velma walked eagerly to Mama's office, her black Marc Jacobs heels clicking on the marble hallway. The gruff looking guard escorted her, neither of them saying a word. Velma knew Mama favored her over all the other girls. She didn't know what it was; her fame, her looks, or the amount of money she had, but she knew that when Mama called her down to her office, there was usually something for her. Of course, there was always something Velma had to do in exchange, but she didn't mind. It was just the way Mama was.

The guard pushed the door open and let Velma in, slamming it behind her. Velma sneered her lip and turned around, staring at the closed door. "Bastard," she whispered under her breath, before slowly turning around and sitting at Mama's desk. She picked up a bottle of vodka and took a sip.

Mama threw her hands up in the air. "Now who said you could have my vodka?!" she asked, grabbing it from her, spilling a bit on Velma's dress.

"Oh _God, _Mama," Velma whined, irritated, pulling a couple of dollar bills from her cleavage. She threw it on the desk, as Mama gladly handed her the bottle. "You're ridiculous."

"Well you better ge'used t'buyin' your own vodka then," Mama told her, narrowing her eyes. "'Cause you're on your own from now on."

Velma nearly spit out her drink. "What?"

Mama laughed, shaking her head as she sat down to meet Velma's eyes. "You heard me, kid. You're free t'go."

Velma shot herself up, almost knocking her drink over. "That's what I'm _talkin' _'bout, Mama!" she yelled, excitedly slamming her fist on the desk. "So that's it, I can leave?"

Mama pressed her lips together, as Velma slumped back into her seat.

"Shit," she mumbled, taking a sip of her vodka. "What's th'matter?"

"Well there's a catch."

Velma nodded quickly, rolling her eyes. "Well I got _that _part, Mama," she told her, staring at her. "What's the catch?"

Mama sighed. "You know Rebecca Kelly?"

Velma nodded, shrugging a little. "Veronica's daughter; my niece. What about 'er?"

"Well after a couple of hours of talkin' t'Harrison on the phone last night, he's agreed t'drop all charges against you... if you take custody of the kid."

Velma raised an eyebrow, before letting out a short laugh. She leaned back in her chair, resting her long, dancer legs on Mama's desk. "What; didja get him high or somethin'?" She stared at Mama for a moment, realizing she wasn't kidding. She removed her legs from the desk and sat up, gawking at her. "You ain't kiddin'?"

Mama shook her head. "Wish I was, baby. Feel bad for that kid. _Velma Kelly _is gonna be her new mother."

Velma sneered her lip, walking around the room a bit. "An' if I _don't _take custody of the kid?"

"Then ya stay here. An' risk gettin' hung." She shrugged, looking at her. "I don't know, Vel. Billy's good an' all, but you got a damn good shortcut outta here. I'd go with takin' the kid."

"Do I have t'be _good _at bein' a mother?"

"Well don't _beat _the kid, Vel. Harrison's gonna be checkin' up on you every once in a while. If the kids happy, then..." She trailed off, shrugging.

Velma threw her hands up in the air, turning around to look at her. "Well what am I supposed t'do with the kid? She's nine; I've met 'er _twice _in her lifetime. She even remember me?"

Mama shrugged. "Probably. But either way, she's yours now. Have fun." She got up from her chair and walked past her, patting her on the shoulder. "Good luck t'ya."

Mama left, leaving Velma by herself. She bit her lip and sat on the desk, holding the bottle of vodka between her legs. This had all happened so quick; how did Mama even manage to talk Harrison into letting her do this? It doesn't take a genius to figure that Velma wouldn't be a very good mother. She sighed, chugging down half the bottle. Suddenly, a mischevious smile spread upon her lips. She raised an eyebrow, standing up. She was free. Meaning that jazz clubs, free drinks, and a social life were finally all hers. So she had a kid. Big deal. She was nine; she could take care of herself, all Velma needed to do was buy her food and get her to school. She put the vodka bottle down and walked out, looking down at the hideous grey jail outfit she wore. Of course, it was much better than the other girls' outfits, but as she stared at it, she heard Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana calling her name. She was finally free. No more dripping water, cracked ceiling tiles, or annoying women living in the jail cell next to her. Chicago, get ready, because Velma Kelly is free.


	3. Chapter 3

Velma walked into her old apartment, looking around. _Home sweet home. _It had been over a month since she had been home, and it seemed like a mansion compared to the old dump she'd been living at. She dropped her black Coach bag on the floor, walking past the bathroom and towards her bedroom. She heard the water dripping from the sink and stopped in her tracks, walking into the bathroom. She smirked, turning the faucet all the way so it stopped. "Not gonna happen," she said, leaving and walking into her bedroom.

She heard the door open; one of the guards from the jail was standing in the doorway with a big box. "Velma?" he called. "Got your personals."

Velma walked out. "Oh, jus' throw it on the couch or somethin'," she told him. She knew she was going to probably have to clean a little before Rebecca came. She looked around the living room, which had remained dirty and messy. She shrugged. Oh well, she thought to herself. The kid can clean it for me. The guard left, and she walked over to a small table in the corner of her kitchen, where an old radio was sitting. She turned the dial towards a station without static, and opened the box. She laughed a bit once she saw all the lingerie items inside and the risque outfit full of lace and leather she had worn the day she got arrested. She picked it up, looking at it as she sneered her lip. There was still some blood on it. She shoved it back into the box and kicked it to the side, walking back into her bedroom. How was Rebecca going to react to this? She was going to live with the person who killed her mother. As the realized that, she couldn't help but laugh. Harrison was an idiot.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She walked back over towards the door and opened it, seeing a little girl standing in front of her, holding a pink bag. A tall man was standing next to her. She studied the girl quickly; that was Rebecca, alright. She was tiny with long chestnut colored hair and big brown eyes. She had possessed the same qualities of Veronica, and she even saw a bit of her own features in her face. She actually looked somewhat cheerful, regardless of the situation. She shrugged it off, the murder had happened over a month ago; maybe Rebecca was starting to get over it.

"Ms. Kelly," the man said, nodding. Velma quickly snapped out of her thoughts and stepped to the side, letting the two in. Rebecca walked in, looking around.

"This is pretty," she said, smiling at Velma. Velma raised an eyebrow, looking around as well. If that's what ya wanna call it, she thought to herself.

The man took Rebecca's bag and put it on the table. "I'm Manny Adams, I'm here to..." Velma watched Rebecca look around the room, as the man's words slowly started to become useless slurs to her. How did she seem so happy? They had only met twice, and if _tha_t wasn't awkard enough, Velma had killed her own mother. How did she manage to keep herself together like that? She tilted her head to the side. Perhaps she inherited Velma's number one characteristic: bravery. Maybe faking a smile was something she did so people didn't know how much pain she was in. She sighed, turning back to the man. She knew how that felt.

"...And I believe that's it," he said, giving her a toothy smile. Velma blinked, hoping that he hadn't said anything important while she was dozing off.

"Mm, okay," Velma finally said, nodding.

"The moving truck will be here in about twenty minutes with Rebecca's things," he told her. Rebecca walked over to them once she heard her name. "Take care Rebecca." He nodded at Velma and exited, leaving an awkward silence between the two.

"...So," Velma finally said, breaking the silence. Rebecca looked up. Velma sighed, walking into the kitchen. Oh well. She didn't know how to entertain the kid, so hopefully she'd find a way to entertain herself.

"Where am I gonna sleep?" Rebecca asked curiously, following her into the kitchen.

Velma shrugged, pulling out a bottle of gin from the refrigerator. "The couch?" she asked. She poured it into a glass and put the bottle back into the refridgerator, looking back at the kid.

"...Oh."

They were both silent for a minute. Rebecca looked up at her, trying to break the silence this time. "You're pretty," she said, smiling.

Velma let out a small laugh through her nose. "I try, baby," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"What's that?"

"Gin."

"Is it good?"

"Mhm."

"Oh."

There was another awkward silence. Velma stared up at the wall, checking for any cracks in the tiles. She felt Rebecca's eyes on her and tried her best to ignore it. She knew that kids her age were curious, but she didn't exactly feel comfortable with her looking at her so much. She sighed, taking a long sip of her drink. This was going to be an interesting day.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Velma was in her bed, swimming in about thirty blankets. She hadn't gotten around to paying the electricity bills, and the heat hadn't been on in a while. She was out cold, and Rebecca, not knowing how heavy of a sleeper Velma was, was poking at her and constantly whispering her name, trying to wake her up. "Velma?" she said, shaking her a little. "Velma, wake up. Velma, it's ten o'clock."

Velma slowly opened her eyes, a bit startled. She had forgotten about Rebecca. She looked around the room; she had also forgotten that she wasn't in jail anymore. It was almost sad to not hear the breakfast bell, and Mama yelling for the girls to wake up. Not _very_ sad, of course, but just a little sentimental. She slowly sat up and squinted her eyes, running her fingers through the dark roots of her hair. "Yeah, so? Go back t'sleep."

Rebecca shook her head. "I can't. I have school. It started an hour ago."

"Oh." Velma stared at the floor for a minute, almost ready to continue the dream she was having, until she realized what Rebecca said. She gasped, charging out of bed and into the bathroom. She whirled around to look at Rebecca again, who was already dressed, and then closed the bathroom door. "_Goddamnit!" _She mumbled a couple of curses under her breath as she tried to get ready. She remembered Mama's warning about Harrison randomly showing up to check on the two, and even though she could care less about Rebecca right now, she didn't want him to think she was an unfit mother. She had just won her freedom, and no way was she going to give that up. Although she had been sleeping for almost ten hours, her hair was still perfectly straight and flawless, and she decided she'd shower after dropping Rebecca off. She walked out, grabbing a black heavy coat with a fur collar and put it on over her nightgown, and grabbed a pair of black heels. "Okay, are ya ready? C'mon, we're late!" She grabbed her keys and ran out, as Rebecca hurried after her.

Velma ran onto the street, next to an older man who raised his arm, hailing a cab. One stopped in front of him and Velma pushed him out of the way, opening the door. She pulled a five dollar bill from her cleavage and gave it to the man whom she had stolen the cab from, and got in with Rebecca. "Emergency. My sister's in labor," she lied, as she closed the door in his face. She told the driver the name of Rebecca's school and he began to drive there, constantly stopping with all the traffic. "Oh would you hurry up!?" she hissed. "If ya gonna go that slow, I coulda just walked; I woulda been there by now!" The driver rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. He knew not to mess with Velma Kelly.

About fifteen minutes later, he stopped in front of an old school, and Velma pulled another five dollar bill from her cleavage. She squinted, looking at the driver's name plate, and threw the money to him. "Keep the change Bill," she told him, as she opened the door and swung her long legs out, getting out of the cab. Rebecca followed her, and started running up the stairs. "... Should I go with you? Do I have t'do anything, or something?" she asked, completely confused. She had never brought someone to school before.

Rebecca smiled and shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Thank you Velma." She ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. Velma rolled her eyes and stood there awkwardly, waiting for her to get off. "Well see ya later kid. When am I supposed t'pick ya up? Dontcha take a bus or somethin'?"

"No, you pick me up at four o'clock."

Velma nodded. "Four o'clock. Okay. Bye." She walked away without another word, not bothering to see if Rebecca got in safely. She pulled a cigarette from her bag and took her lighter out, lighting the tip of it. She shoved the lighter back into her bag and put the cigarette between her lips, closing her eyes as she took a long drag on it. She sighed, walking into a bar. It had only been one day with her, and she was already wanting to kill herself. She needed a drink.

She walked up to the bar and sat down on a bar stool, crossing her long legs over each other. "Double tequila, no salt," she told the man behind the counter. She sighed, resting her forehead on her fist. "Actually, make that two. I feel like shit." The bartender, who had come to known Velma after the past couple of years, smiled as he began to make her drink.

"Tough day?"

"No shit. I'm a mother now, can ya believe it?" She held the cigarette between her two fingers, her elbow resting on the countertop.

The bartender's mouth dropped open, and he nearly dropped the glass. He put it down, washing the countertop with a damp cloth. "You're a mother?" he repeated, looking at her with disbelief.

Velma sighed. "Mhm. My sister's daughter, she's livin' with me now."

"What made you agree to that?"

"My _freedom,_" she said, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "They dropped all charges against me, just t'take care of the little brat."

He laughed, as he continued making her drink. "An' who's idiotic idea was that?"

Velma shrugged. "Don't know, but who cares? I'm finally free, y'know? I mean, all I gotta do is hire a babysitter for the kid till she's eleven or twelve, an' I can finally go out an' get my life back again. It's been three Goddamn months, I'm ready t'party again."

He gave her her drink, and put his hand up when she handed him the money. "It's on me," he said. "Congrats on your freedom. And on being a mother."

Later that day, Velma made a phone call to the Cook County Jail, requesting to talk to both Annie and Liz, who were the closest things she had to friends when she was in jail. Although she didn't want to rub it in their faces, she couldn't help but feel rather smug about the fact that she had gotten to jail after them, and then got out before them. As she waited for Mama to get the two onto the phone, she stared at her cigarette, which she held between her two fingers in her left hand. Finally, she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

Velma heard the gruffness in the voice, and knew it was Liz. "Heya, Liz, it's Velma."

"What the hell d'you want? How's the kid? She hate you yet?"

Velma shrugged. "I hate her more than she hates me. Where's Annie?"

"Right next t'me."

"Put her on, I gotta talk t'you both."

"Hold on." There was a slight pause, and a small click, and Velma was worried they had gotten disconnected.

"Hello? Velma?"

The slightly happier, yet still gloomy, voice was no other than Annie. Out of the three, Annie had always been the more cheerful one. When either Liz or Velma went into an angry rage whenever they would get flashbacks of their murders, she would be there, with her calm voice and manners, to help cheer them up. It seemed like Annie never lost her cool around other people, regardless of the pain she felt when she found out about Ezekiel's other six wives. Whenever she told the story, she always managed to put some humor into it, although the hurt and sorrow in her eyes were always very obvious.

"Heya babe. Look, I gotta talk t'ya."

"You bustin' us out!?" Liz asked, her voice possessing a bit of excitement for once.

Annie sighed. "You could take any one of my livers if you broke us outta here, Vel. We saw a mouse in the sink yesterday. Took a crap right on Mona's toothbrush."

Velma's serious face was quickly broken by a small smirk, trying to imagine Mona's reaction. Knowing her, she probably thought it was just brown toothpaste. "Well, figures. But nah, I don't got a plan for breakin' you guys out. One of these days though," she lied.

"Anyway, whatdya gotta talk about?"

Velma listened to the voice, trying to figure out who it was. Once they were back to being gloomy and miserable, it was hard to tell their voices apart. But Liz's was a bit more sharper, and Annie had a slight soothingness to her voice. "'Bout this kid."

"Oh, Rebecca?" That was definetely Annie. If it was Liz, she wouldn't of called her by her real name, but by a ruder remark, like 'brat,' or 'devil child,' even though she had never even met Rebecca.

"Yeah, her. I have no idea what t'do with 'er. I mean, she only got here yesterday, an' she's already drivin' me crazy. Always tryin' t'touch me, always lookin' at me an' talkin' t'me. I really can't stand it. An' she's _nine. _I still got a long time till I send her t'college."

"So? Ship her off t'boarding school."

"Liz," Annie hissed. "Velma, all ya gotta do is warm up t'the kid a little, y'know? Find out what her hobbies are, um... her favorite food, color."

"An' if that doesn't work, give 'er t'me, an' you can come back t'jail. I'd take the brat t'get outta this hellhole. I tell ya, I'm almost plannin' on joinin' Mona on diggin' a hole t'China."

Velma rolled her eyes. "Is this her new plan?"

Annie sighed. "Yeah, her sister bought her a shovel, an' now she's tryin' t'dig a hole through the concrete t'China."

Liz laughed a little. "It's pretty funny, actually. Insteada playin' cards, we all watch Mona every night after dinner."

Velma sat up, putting her cigarette into the ashtray. "An' what does Mama have t'say about this?"

"She thinks it's funny."

Velma sighed, but couldn't help but smile. You always meet the most interesting people in jail. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. Go t'Mama an' tell 'er that I'm havin' trouble with the kid. An' I need reinforcements."

"Velma honey, she won't care."

Velma smiled a bit mischeviously. "She will if ya give 'er the goods."

Liz raised her eyebrows, looking at Annie. She pressed the phone tighter against her ear. "So, what, we pay her an' she lets us stay with you for a little while?"

Annie watched as Mama did her usual check up on the girls, walking up and down Murderess Row, collecting money and subtly giving them various items such as cigarettes, packs of gum, and alcohol poured into black bottles so you couldn't see what was inside. "I doubt she'll let us out for a lousy ten bucks."

"Not ten," Velma said. "But maybe... fifty. B'sides, it's only for a couple of hours. It's not like she's lettin' you go forever."

Annie looked at Liz in disbelief. "An' how the hell're we supposed t'get fifty bucks?"

Velma shrugged, examining the tips of her fingernails. "Start playin' one hell of a polker game with June. You know she always bets shitloadsa money. If ya play well enough, you can get fifty bucks in one round."

Liz sighed. "_You_ were the polker queen, Vel. And now that you're gone, she's the best. No way're we gonna beat her."

Velma sighed. "Steal from the Hunyak then, I don't know. Or what about Mona? Tell 'er you're donatin' t'China."

Annie couldn't help but laugh. "Well, she _is _stupid enough. But I doubt she has money."

"Then go around collectin' from everyone. Geri, Louise, go up an' down Murderess Row."

"But-"

"You'll manage. Call me when ya got the money."

She put the phone down on the reciever and stood up, as Liz and Annie looked at each other with concerned faces. Annie shrugged. "We should go for it."

With a slight roll of her eyes, Liz lit a cigarette, bringing it to her lips. "Why? Velma' s the rich one, why doesn't _she _pay?"

Annie shrugged. "Don't know. That's Kelly for ya. But look, don't do this for Velma an' the kid, do it for us. For a couple of hours of freedom. C'mon, how long you been in here?"

Liz sighed, leaning against the cold, hard wall, which had started closing in on her ever since she first got here. "Eight years," she replied, bitterly.

"An' you haven't seen outside this place since."

Liz nodded, taking a long drag on her cigarette, angrily exhaling smoke. She envied Velma, not only did she have to stay for no more than three months, but she had about seven realistic stories that explained her innocence, that she just randomly pulled out of her ass whenever the Hell she wanted. Liz had thought long and hard about what she was gonna use for grounds, but could never think of anything realistic enough. Killing a man for popping gum wasn't something you did everyday, and you really needed a criminal mastermind to think of a good story for that one. Which is exactly why she needed Billy Flynn. She sighed, staring at the tip of her cigarette. All she needed was five thousand dollars.

Annie put her hand on hers and gave it a small squeeze, and Liz angrily pulled away. "Fine. I'll do it for our freedom."

She smiled, as she looked up and saw one of the women from Murderess Row walking past their cells to the laundry room. "C'mon," Annie said, holding out her hand to Liz, who igored it, and stood up with her. "Remember, our freedom."

Liz nodded, with a small sigh. "Yeah. Our freedom."


	5. Chapter 5

Later that afternoon, Velma was lounging in her bathtub, light music playing in the background. She took a deep breath and sunk a bit deeper underneath the bubbles, finally feeling relaxed. She closed her eyes and thought about her life before jail, before Cicero, before she had even met Charlie. Her and Veronica were the best of friends, they always got along. The perfect sisters; rarely argued, and were always there for each other. She sighed, kicking one of her long legs and let it lazily swing out of the tub. So much for that. She closed her eyes again and respositioned herself into a comfortable spot, remembering her grandmother. Abuela, they called her. Just thinking of her brought a smile to Velma's red, glossy lips. She was the mother that Velma was lacking. Their own mother preferred Veronica over her, for some unknown reason. It was always Veronica first, then Velma. Their father had left when they were young, so it was only their mother taking care of the two their whole life. Or, only Veronica, she took care of. She could care less about Velma.

But her abuela was always there taking care of her. Her mother would just kick her out of the house randomly, and always took out her rage on her, and she would leave the house and go straight to her abuela's, where she would be waiting, almost as if she was expecting her. Her abuela couldn't control Velma's mom, so just did her best to give Velma the love and care she had deserved, but never recieved. She helped her with her dance, theatre, and voice classes, and got the two sisters to have one of the biggest names in vaudeville. And one night after a big show, they recieved a phone call. The worst phone call they had ever recieved. There was an unfamiliar man's voice on the other end, and sirens were heard in the background. Their abuela had a heart attack while at home, and died instantly.

Velma's eyes opened slowly, remembering how numb she felt when she heard the news. She couldn't speak, she couldn't move, she couldn't even cry. She was completely numb, and it wasn't until later that night when she was alone in her apartment, when the words actually hit her, and she realized that the one person who ever loved her was now gone. She spent the whole night up, yelling angry curses to no one, punching the wall, and crying until she almost threw up. The funeral was even worse, too. She remembered walking down the church aisle behind the coffin, Veronica holding her arm on her left side, and her older cousin, Paul, holding her at her right side. She could barely even walk, and they were afraid her legs would give out and she would fall, so they both held her and never let go. "It'll be okay," she remembered Veronica whispering to her. All Velma could do was nod her head in agreement, even though they both knew that no one would be okay. She walked with the help of Veronica and Paul, staring ahead of her, staring into nothing. Tears were in her eyes but they weren't falling, nor did they scream to be seen. People would walk past her and squeeze her hand or try to hug her, offering their condolences but she merely ignored them, not wanting to be bothered. After the funeral, when everyone was sitting in the restaurant for lunch, Velma stayed outside alone, smoking a cigarette, a pair of black sunglasses resting on her nose so her bloodshot, teary eyes couldn't be seen.

Velma sighed, reaching over to turn the water off. She lost a lot that day, and only continued to lose even more. She got out of the tub, wiping soapy bubbles off her, and wrapped a towel around her, going into the kitchen for a drink. She looked over at the clock that rested on the wall, which read 4:13. She raised her eyebrows, trying to remember if there was something she was supposed to do. For some reason, she vaguely remembered having to be somewhere around this time. She stared at the ground for a minute, before gasping loudly, and running back to her room. "The kid!" she yelled, as she pulled out a black satin bathrobe, wrapping it around her body, which still hadn't been completely dried. She pulled an old pair of black stilettos and threw her hair over her shoulders, grabbing her keys and running out. Her hair was still wet and dripped water onto the back of her bathrobe, leaving a small wet puddle right under it. She ran like she'd never ran before, and got to the school that was six blocks away, in under three minutes. Why it didn't occur to her to just hail a cab, she had no idea. But she was in a hurry, and she panicked.

Her breathing was heavy and she came over to the front entrance, where Rebecca was sitting on the steps, her bookbag placed next to her. There was an older man with his back turned to Velma, and he seemed to be in a very serious conversation with her. She noticed Velma wearing the bathrobe and looked a bit confused, as she began to grab her bookbag. Velma walked over, limping from the pain she felt from running in heels, and rudely pushed the man out of the way. "C'mon Rebecca, we're goin' home," she said, not bothering to look to, or apologize to, the man next to her.

There was a firm hand placed onto her shoulder and just before she turned around to knock him in the face, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. "Miss Kelly."

She squeezed her eyes shut, a look that screamed, _"Oh, shit," _washed onto her face, and she slowly turned around. "Whatdya want, Harrison? I'm hear t'pick up Rebecca."

"Miss Kelly, I hope you're aware that you're twenty seven minutes late."

Velma pulled her pocket watch out of her bag and looked at it, a mischevious smile forming on her lips. "Twenty-_six,"_ she corrected him, as if it made a difference. Harrison looked down at her sternly, and she sighed, straightening up to make herself taller. She was used to being the taller one in most conversations, but Harrison had quite a few inches on her, making her feel tiny for once in her life. "Look, I was havin' some car troubles. I had t'run here."

"And you decided that taking a shower when you were supposed to be _here _would help?"

"Oh shove it up ya ass, Harrison," Velma replied, sneering her lip. "Why ya gotta stalk me anyway? Is this how it's gonna be from now on, huh? Every time I turn around, ya standin' there?"

"Miss Kelly, you and I both know you are not fit to be a mother. It wasn't my idea to give you this child."

"Then who's was it?" She looked up at him, crossing her arms over chest.

Harrison looked down and sighed, grabbing his briefcase off the steps. "Take Rebecca home. Make sure she finishes her homework, eats vegetables, and gets a good night's rest." He began to walk away, and turned around. "Don't screw this up, Miss Kelly. This child's life is in your hands." He turned to walk away again, leaving Velma behind, drilling holes in his back with her ice cold stare. Her mother's life was in my hands too at one point, an' look what happened t'her, she thought to herself.

She finally turned around, looking down at Rebecca who was waiting patiently, bookbag in head. "Can you believe that guy? What'd he say t'you?" She started walking with her, hoping that the passing breezes would dry her hair, which still occasionally dripped.

"He wanted to know if you were treating me well."

"An' what'd ya say?"

"I said yes you were."

Velma smiled. She knew she liked this kid. "Atta girl," she cooed. "If anyone asks, I'm the best mother around, got it?"

Rebecca nodded. "Got it."

Velma looked down at Rebecca, wondering why she was so friendly, and loving life. It was hard to tell the two were related. Yes, they looked alike, but they both had completely different outlooks on life. Rebecca loved it, whereas Velma resented it. She pulled the drawstring of her bathrobe around her tighter. Rebecca was the type of girl she would call 'optimistic.' Velma was just stubborn.

They finally got back to the apartment, and as Velma fished her keys out of her bag, she heard the phone ringing from inside. She mumbled a couple of curses as she stuck the key into the door knob, flinging it open and running towards the phone. Rebecca walked in after her and closed the door behind them, walking into a small guest room that she had made into her own bedroom.

"Hello?" Velma answered the phone, holding it in her left hand, turning around to see where Rebecca went. She shrugged, sitting down at the table.

"Vel? It's Annie. We got the money."

"Ya did!?" she responded, a smile growing over her lips. "And?"

"An' Mama's lettin' us stay tomorrow. From nine in the mornin' till seven at night."

Velma nodded approvingly. "Jeez, Mama's gettin' generous."

"I know. Okay, well we gotta go. Mona's got her hands on a rake, an' she's tryin' t'see if that'll help anymore than the shovel."

Velma shook her head. "Alright. Bye." She put the phone back onto the reciever, as she walked into the kitchen, where Rebecca was sitting at the table. "Do you know how to multiply big numbers?"

"Nope, but I got a calculator that can."

"We're not allowed to use that. We have to use our minds."

Velma shot her a ridiculous look, taking a bottle of gin out of the icebox, sitting across the table from where. "Well where the hell're ya gonna get anywhere usin' ya 'mind?' Jus' put down a couple of numbers an' tell the teacher ya tried ya hardest. A for effort, y'know? You're cute, you'll get away with it."

Rebecca nodded and continued her work, as Velma watched her. She felt a small twinge of guilt for not being able to help her with her homework, but got over it quick enough. "Listen. Some of my friends're comin' over t'morrow. They're gonna come while you're in school, an' they'll be here till... till ya go t'bed, I guess. I dunno."

"Sounds fun. What are you guys gonna do?"

Velma shrugged. "Don't know yet. We'll see."

"What's for dinner?"

"Dinner?"

Rebecca looked up. "Uh-huh, dinner. We're eating, right?"

Velma shrugged a little, standing up. "Mm, if ya want." She looked around the kitchen, obviously unaware of what to do. She put her hands on her hips, walking around in a few useless circles, before turning to face Rebecca again. "You in the mood t'eat out?"

Rebecca grinned, closing her books. "Yeah! Where?"

Velma shrugged. "Don' t know. But go get ready. You're allowed t'have vodka, right?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Never had it," she said, before skipping out of the kitchen.

Velma also exited the kitchen and went into her room, rummaging through her closet for something to wear. She finally decided on a tight, black dress with a low cut, that ended right under her ass. She wore fishnet stockings underneath, and a pair of black heels. She ran her fingers through her flawless, perfect dark hair and finally turned away from the mirror, deciding that she looked fabulous. She opened the door and went across the hall, knocking on Rebecca's door. "Ya ready?"

Rebecca opened the door, wearing a cute pink dress and white flip flops, along with a small white purse dangling from her forearm. Velma couldn't help but laugh when she saw her trying to dress up like her. "Ya look good kid," she told her, nudging her a bit as she walked into the living room, grabbing the keys off the table. Rebecca followed, a glowing smile on her face. Velma opened the door and let her go out first, then followed, resting the purse strap on her shoulder, running her fingers through the roots of her hair. Rebecca observed this, and about five minutes later, she also let the purse strap rest onto her shoulder, and she ran her fingers through her hair, tossing it to the side, as she struggled to keep up with Velma.


End file.
